Nice find, desert climate has its advantages! I have run one of these for years as a farm truck hauling grain, plowing snow, pulling a heavy implement trailer, etc. with no problems. I put a hoist under the bed. Some words of advice for what is many times said to be a bad transmission. Get the engine oil out of it if it has it in it. Put in Dexron ATF. I was told to do this by a transmission tech that worked on them in the military and in civilian life built the transmission for drag racing. I did that and had no problems with it in all the time I had it in what most would say was severe use. The engine oil does not have the correct properties for an automatic transmission, causing failures and a bad rap for the transmission. Be sure the band adjustment is right, done under a cap on top of the casting just behind the shift valve cover. Also drain the coolant at the transmission pan plug and remove the front cover on the pan. Inside is the cooler coil that has the transmission oil circulated through it for cooling. Be sure all crud is rinsed out of the cavity around the cooler coil so proper cooling can happen. This is a low point in the cooling system so crud tends to collect there. I still have the truck and a couple of others but none are running right now. It would still run but it is tired! It certainly owes me nothing. I have moved on to the diesel trucks; more power! Good luck and enjoy! Please PM if you have any questions.
Regards Martin Sacks